Seven
by existence555
Summary: Drabbles on each of the seven deadly sins involving various characters. 7. Bellatrix and Neville face off.
1. Envy

**A/N: Hi guys! This is for The Magic Number Competition which I decided to enter! It's pretty simple, I got seven prompts and I'm going to write a chapter for each of the deadly sins, each chapter using one prompt and one sin. For this first chapter, the sin is envy and the prompt is "life is a death sentence" so I decided to write about Harry. Let me know how I did and review! :) **

Harry was burning.

Snape's memories had confirmed a fear that had been haunting him for far too long—he had to die.

Of course, he had always known that he had to die. After all, everyone who lived had to die. He, in particular, had come close so many times already that the thought didn't even scare him.

So why was Harry burning?

He knew the answer, deep down, as his thoughts turned to the people he loved. It was far too simple, really. They would get to live. Ron would laugh again, Hermione would read more books, Ginny would fly ever higher… They would get to fall in love, have families, have _dreams_.

He couldn't have dreams. He couldn't have anything. He had to die.

Harry was burning. But in the end, it was only for a moment.

One horrific, painful moment of burning up inside was all that he could afford today. Just because he wouldn't have the opportunity to live didn't mean that other people shouldn't get it.

So, Harry left Dumbledore's office with only one thought in his mind. Today, he had lives to save.

(And one moment of envy wasn't going to change that.)


	2. Gluttony

**A/N: The sin is gluttony, and the prompt is "favorite". **

"Another treacle tart!" Dudley called loudly, sticking a pudgy arm up in the air.

"Haven't you had enough?" Harry asked. "That'll be your fourth, and you don't even like them."

"But you do!" Dudley sneered. "And all you can do is watch me eat, Potter. Isn't that right, Dad?"

Dudley grinned in delight as a waiter set down another plate of dessert in front of him.

"That's right," Vernon said, nodding.

"Dudders gets whatever he wants," Petunia added. "He's our favorite boy."

The Dursleys all turned to smile mockingly at Harry, who shrugged.

"He's going to be sick, you know," Harry told them.

Dudley's mouth was too full for him to respond, but his mother wouldn't stand for her son being insulted, especially by Harry.

"No manners at all," Petunia remarked, sniffing haughtily.

"That's what happens to boys with no parents," Dudley scoffed.

Harry said nothing, instead silently becoming angrier with every mouthful that Dudley gulped down. Eventually, his patience paid off, and his cousin's chewing slowed.

"Mum," Dudley groaned. "I don't feel well."

"What did you do to Dudley?!" Petunia exclaimed, as she started to rub Dudley's back.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry protested. "You've been watching me this whole time."

Petunia shook her head and looked to her husband as she tried to comfort Dudley, who was looking queasier by the second.

"I will not have these shenanigans while you are under my roof!" Vernon threatened. "Boy, you and your—"

Before Vernon could finish his rant, Dudley vomited the contents of his stomach onto the table. Vernon and Petunia rushed to make sure their son was okay, but all Harry could do was grin.

"I don't know what happened," Dudley whimpered. "I was eating and then I suddenly felt all weird!"

Petunia and Vernon immediately came up with multiple explanations, each more ridiculous than the last and each, of course, involving Harry. However, the nine-year-old boy in question wasn't listening to them. Harry was only thinking about one thing.

After all, he was sure that there was only one thing that could've made Dudley sick so suddenly—_magic_.


	3. Lust

**A/N: The sin is lust, and the prompt is "a friend comes to visit". **

"Good evening, Lily," James smiles.

Lily does not bother to move from her desk, where she is busily drafting a Potions essay.

"How did you get in here, Potter?" she asks.

She sounds irritated, but James knows her too well to take her seriously.

"I have my ways," he tells her. "Nice place you've got here. The Head Girl gets lots of room and such a lovely bed. I'm sure that will come in handy later."

Lily sends him an exasperated look, and James simply gives her a suggestive wink in return.

"If you're not going to tell me how you got in here, you could at least tell me _why_ you're here," she sighs.

"Can't a friend casually drop in for a visit?" James asks. "I'm wounded that you would be so harsh, Lily."

He moves closer to her, his grin widening with every step.

"James," Lily laughs. "You are completely ridiculous."

"Does that mean you don't want to kiss me right now?" James smirks.

Lily crosses her legs and smiles innocently at him.

"I hate you," she informs him. "I really do hate you, Potter. I hope you know that."

James leans down so that he is looking directly into her eyes, and Lily nearly shivers from the feeling of his warm breath on her lips.

"I didn't ask you how you felt about me, _Evans_," he whispers. "What I asked is if you want to kiss me right now."

His hand is on her thigh now, his thumb slowly tracing circles on her skin, and Lily finally gives up.

"Bloody hell," she mutters.

And then she kisses him.


	4. Sloth

**A/N: The sin is sloth, and the prompt is "why me?". **

"Hermione, you've got to get up," Ron sighs, gently shaking her awake.

His wife rolls over in bed and groans.

"I can't!" she complains sleepily.

"You haven't missed a day of work in your life, sweetheart," Ron points out.

"I've never been this pregnant in my life," Hermione points out. "Don't make me go, Ron! I've got a meeting and our little girl has been kicking all night. All I really want, other than days and days of sleep, is Bertie Bott's, but we're all out. _We're all out!_ Why me?"

Ron sits down on the bed next to her and strokes her back reassuringly.

"First of all, you called that meeting," he tells her. "And I'm sorry that she's been bothering you, Hermione, I really am, but how could you ever think that I'd let you run out of Bertie Bott's?"

He produces a large packet from the drawer of the table next to his side of the bed, and Hermione's face lights up.

"Oh, Ron!" she exclaims.

She moves to grab the packet from his hands, but he dangles it just out of her reach.

"Not so fast," Ron says. "You've got to go to work today, Hermione. You specifically told me that you've _got_ to go. There's no point in putting it off since we both know you're going anyway. Honestly, you're brilliant but you can be so stubborn sometimes…"

He trails off; Hermione is quietly snoring.

"Well, your lectures always put me to sleep," Ron laughs, putting the jellybeans back in their place. "So I suppose it'd work the other way around too. I'll make excuses for you, love."

He tenderly drapes the blanket over her and kisses her forehead before leaving.

Hermione, just barely awake, smiles. Tomorrow, she'll pay for skipping this meeting. Today, for the first time ever, she'll get her lazy day.


	5. Greed

**A/N: The sin is greed, and the prompt is "five years on". This one's a bit longer than the others. Please review! :) **

As he heard footsteps approach his cell, Grindelwald smiled.

"Hello, Albus," he said, without turning to face his visitor. "Have you come to set me free?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"I know your sound," Grindelwald replied. "Five years ago, I heard those same footsteps coming from behind me before I was stabbed in the back."

"We had been on different paths for a long time, Gellert," Dumbledore pointed out.

Grindelwald finally turned to face his childhood friend, even managing to look him in the eye.

"You're right," he admitted. "But if we're so different, why are you here?"

"I shouldn't be," Dumbledore sighed.

"They are calling to you again," Grindelwald said, with a knowing chuckle. "But what do _you_ need them for? You've already got one Hallow, and they all say you're the greatest wizard in the world."

"What do you know?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring Grindelwald's inquiry.

"Enough," Grindelwald responded. "But there is nothing that you should know, old friend. I realize that now."

Dumbledore gripped the bars of Grindelwald's cell tightly.

"Tell me what you know," Dumbledore ordered.

Grindelwald sighed and moved back so that he could lean his head against the back wall of the cell.

"I do not plan on telling you anything," Grindelwald told him. "It's for your own good."

"The last time that you tried to do something for other people's good, innocent people died," Dumbledore reminded him. "Do not think you know better than me, Gellert. Tell me what you know about the remaining two Hallows."

Dumbledore's hand reached to grip the Elder Wand, and Grindelwald shook his head.

"I cannot help you, Albus," Grindelwald sighed. "Kill me if you want, but you cannot convince me to tell you anything. I know now that men like us should not have such power."

"I am not like you!" Dumbledore thundered, drawing himself up to his full height to tower over the sitting Grindelwald.

"Not yet," Grindelwald corrected him. "You can manage one Hallow far better than I ever could, but it is unwise, even for you, to try to master death."

Dumbledore took a few seconds to calm himself down before speaking again.

"I could change the world," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Do you not remember that I changed the world too?" Grindelwald replied softly. "Power is intoxicating, I know that better than anybody. But Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, will improve the world much more than Albus Dumbledore, the master of death, ever could. Do not let greed cloud your great mind."

Dumbledore opened his mouth but abruptly closed it again. For a long moment, he could only stare at his childhood friend.

"Five years has changed you," Dumbledore remarked.

"For the better," Grindelwald agreed. "I am repenting, Albus."

Dumbledore nodded, at last relinquishing his tight grip on his wand. He could not admit that Grindelwald was right, but he needed to gather his thoughts.

"I may come back," Dumbledore declared, as he turned to leave.

"I hope you do not," Grindelwald replied.

"Goodbye, old friend," Dumbledore said.

Not once looking back, he left Nurmengard, never to return.


	6. Pride

**A/N: The sin is pride, and the prompt is "so this is how it is". Please review! :) **

George and Percy had been sitting in a dark corner of the Leaky Cauldron for nearly five minutes, but neither of them had said a word.

"Okay," Percy said, finally breaking the silence. "Where's Fred? Is he going to pop out of somewhere to scare me? Did you two put something in my drink?"

"Fred isn't here," George sighed. "I told you I wanted to talk to you alone, Perce."

"About what?" Percy asked. "I think I've made it clear that I don't want to talk to any of you."

"Then why did you show up?" George retorted.

Percy looked away, and George smiled at his small victory.

"Look, Mum is crying all the time," George explained. "Normally, we'd be happy that she's so distracted, but it's bad. It's really bad."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Percy asked, sounding bored.

George's fingers curled into a fist.

"Don't you care at all?" he said lowly. "It's okay to admit that you were wrong, you know. We're _family_."

"Can't I live my life the way I want to?" Percy snapped. "Not everything is about family. I have to make some decisions for myself."

"I understand that!" George protested. "Fred and I went into business against Mum's wishes, and it turned out fine. You working at the Ministry did not turn out fine. And that's alright. It's alright to be wrong sometimes."

Percy glared at George.

"There can be change," Percy declared. "And it can come from the inside, you know. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it can't."

"Bloody hell," George muttered. "After everything that's been happening, how can you say that? What the hell is wrong with you? Fred told me that it wasn't worth coming."

"Neither of us should have come," Percy sneered, standing up. "It was a waste of time."

George stood up too and looked his brother straight in the eye.

"So this is how it is," George said.

"This is how it is," Percy replied.

He left without another word.


	7. Wrath

**A/N: Last one. This has been fun! The sin is wrath, and the prompt is "let the games begin". Please review! **

"Where are you, boy?!" Bellatrix shouted. "I'll find you!"

Neville hid behind a wall, his wand at the ready in case she made good on her threat. He was panting from all the running, and he had lost count of the various injuries he had sustained from the battle already.

"So, you want to play hide and seek?" Bellatrix laughed. "Kiddies do like their games, don't they? I'll show you _games_, wee Longbottom."

Neville held his breath as he heard the Death Eater's footsteps coming closer.

"Got you!" Bellatrix exclaimed.

She advanced upon Neville with a wicked grin, relentlessly directing deadly streams of light at him. He managed to avoid them, but not without falling to the ground.

"Don't you know the rules of hide and seek?" Bellatrix asked, as Neville crawled backwards trying to avoid her attacks. "When I find you, you _lose_!"

With one well-aimed spell, Bellatrix made the young Gryffindor's body go still.

"Now is when things get complicated," Bellatrix sighed. "Should I kill you or just make sure you join your parents? A family ward for the crazy Longbottoms! Wouldn't you like that?"

Neville tried to move his hand, to curse her, to kill her, to do anything—but he was paralyzed.

"Will your parents even cry when your dear grandmother tells them you're dead?" Bellatrix asked. "Do they even know who you are?"

Neville's entire body shook with the effort of throwing off the effect of Bellatrix's spell. In one swift movement, her wand clattered to the ground, and his wand moved to press against her throat.

"Nobody's going to cry for you," he told her.

As he opened his mouth to speak the deadly words, he felt his body shake violently. Neville blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he was in bed, facing his very worried wife.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Hannah asked. "You were tossing and turning, so I thought I'd wake you."

"Just a nightmare," Neville murmured.

"You're fine now," Hannah told him, smiling. "Go back to sleep."

Neville nodded and closed his eyes, hoping for a more peaceful dream. But as soon as he fell back asleep, a familiar cackle began to ring in his ears.

"Let the games begin, wee Longbottom."


End file.
